P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Fernando Alonso was issued a 20-second time penalty after the Australian Grand Prix for his defensive tactics on George Russell.
George Russell cautioned that Formula 1 faced the risk of unleashing a controversial situation if it failed to penalize Fernando Alonso at the Australian Grand Prix, where Russell crashed while pursuing Alonso for sixth place at Melbourne’s Albert Park. The Mercedes driver lost control as he closed in on Alonso, who lifted off the throttle near Turn 6, leading to a 20-second time penalty for Alonso due to dangerous driving. Russell described the incident as a surprise, mentioning he was caught off guard while making a switch change on the steering wheel and suddenly found himself behind Alonso. He emphasized that failing to penalize Alonso would have set a problematic precedent for future races, potentially allowing similar maneuvers by other drivers. Despite the incident, Russell clarified that he harbored no personal grudge against Alonso, as competition on the track doesn’t affect the mutual respect drivers share off-track. Both drivers aimed to move forward from the incident professionally and focus on upcoming races in the Formula 1 season.
